That humanities degree might come in handy if you want a job in AI, the editorial director at Google's NotebookLM says
Mar 02, 2025 - businessinsider.com
Steven Johnson, editorial director of NotebookLM at Google Labs, highlights the increasing value of humanities skills in the AI industry. He notes that roles like "AI wrangler" are emerging, which require a deep understanding of AI models and their capabilities rather than coding expertise. This shift suggests that philosophical and psychological skills are becoming crucial in addressing complex AI-related questions, such as moral considerations and human principles for AI training. Johnson cites Amanda Askell, a philosopher working on AI alignment at Anthropic, as an example of how humanities skills are being applied in AI development.
While humanities skills are gaining prominence, technical skills remain essential. Individuals from humanities backgrounds may need to enhance their technical knowledge to fully capitalize on opportunities in the AI field. Johnson emphasizes the importance of fluency in the latest AI models and their functions as a valuable skill across industries. Despite the growing role of humanities in AI, technical expertise is still necessary for tasks like making API calls and optimizing model outputs.
Key takeaways:
Humanities skills, such as philosophical and psychological knowledge, are becoming increasingly valuable in the AI industry.
The role of "AI wrangler" is emerging, requiring deep knowledge of AI models and their capabilities without necessarily needing coding expertise.
While humanities skills are gaining importance, technical skills remain valuable and necessary for certain roles in the AI field.
Individuals from humanities backgrounds may need to acquire technical skills to fully leverage opportunities in the AI industry.
